South Bay in LA

Good Bye South Bay...Hello South Park

2009-09-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am moving from the South Bay in LA to South Park in LA so this is my last post.

Follow my new blog here South Park In LA

Labor Day Weekend 2009: Saturday

2009-09-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for a while because my I gave my son my computer until I get him a new one.

Quick Update: My son graduated from Mira Costa High School and turned 18 last month on Aug 3rd. He moved out two weeks later to Pasadena to attend college. He is renting an apartment with 2 other engineering students that are very studious so he is in good hands. My son still does not drive...why...he doesn't want to which is ok with me because he lives 2 blocks from his school and there are lots of stores and restaurants near his home.

So he asked me if he could come home for the weekend. Mostly to cool down...it's been 100+ degrees there and smokey from the fires but...I think he misses home too and our cat Remy. Yesterday, I drove the 405 North to the 105 East to the 110 North and I looked ahead and noticed the Goodyear Blimp traveling up the 110 headed to the USC game opener at the Coliseum against San Jose State (USC killed them).

I managed to catch up with the blimp and pass him so traffic wasn't as bad as I expected...well actually it was in the carpool lane because of all of the people headed to the game but I was solo and was not in the carpool and for the first time I was happy that I wasn't.

After we got home I headed to Fiesta Hermosa www.fiestahermosa.com . We have this fair every Labor Day and Memorial Day. It's a lot of fun. Lots of shopping from clothes, jewelery, art and crafty things which I am not so much into. They also have two stages one near the pier and one in the beer and wine garden. They played music like Janis Joplin, Journey, Heart, Johnny Cash. It was a sunny day but not too hot so it was perfect. We also ran into some friends and hung out and caught up with what was going on in their lives.

We have a BBQ today but we will probably end up in Hermosa on Monday after I take my son back to Pasadena (he has laundry and homework to do :) )

La Canada Flintridge Fire

2009-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Fire Department from all over the US have been helping with the worst fire in LA history.

There was a heavy presence of police near the fires including Highway Patrol and police departments from all over So Cal to prevent looters from entering evacuated homes.

View of the fires from my son's home in Pasadena.

Hollywood Walk Of Fame: Michael Jackson's Star June 26, 2009

2009-06-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson's Star

I just happened to be in the area on the morning after Michael Jackson was pronounced dead and heard on the news that everyone was headed to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see his star.

I usually avoid the media frenzy and I don't usually pay attention to the stars on the walk but I had nothing better to do and I thought I would share my photos I took while I was there.

RIP MJ

Mira Costa High School Graduation 2009: Manhattan Beach, CA

2009-06-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

My Son Receiving His Diploma

Time to loosen the tie

Congratulations Brandon and the Mira Costa High School Class Of 2009

It was one of the happiest days of my life and one of the saddest days of my life when my son graduated from high school

I always knew this day would come but it came a lot faster than I had ever imagined.

The graduation ceremony was in their stadium, the weather was perfect and the commencement was memorable with some humor and some tearing up by all.

He is off to college in the Fall. He wants to study Architecture and Engineering.

Now what am I going to do?

LA Clipper's Open Seating

2009-06-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

View From Our New Seats

Every year Clipper Season Ticket Holders are invited to come to Staples to upgrade their tickets. To change the floor to the Clippers floor cost about $100,000 so they left the floor as the Lakers. The Lakers were in Orlando playing the Magic in the NBA finals and they were expected to return back home to win the finals but as we all know there was no need for that so I took some photo opts since I had the opportunity.

Sorry Clips!

Maybe next year!

Lakers vs. Magic Finals Game 1

2009-06-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Magic Fan's arrrived by the bus load

I was fortunate enough to go to Game 1 of the NBA finals at Staples Center. It was an amazing game...at least for the Laker fans.

Sea Fair Boating Safety and Open House: Redondo Beach

2009-05-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

King Harbor Yacht Club

ABC News was there for the Coast Guard Demonstration

Booths about the KHYC and Boat Safety

Free Tri-Tip for Everyone...but me...I don't eat meat any longer.

Coast Guard Flying in for Rescue Demonstration.

US Coast Guard Rescue Demonstration

One Last Fly By

Every year the King Harbor Yacht Club has a Sea Fair Boating Safety and Open House. I came because I wanted to see the US Coast Guard do their rescue demonstration. They did it several times in the harbor. I think they do this for the public as well as getting some training in at the same time.

Memorial Day Weekend: Monarch Beach, CA

2009-05-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

St Regis Monarch Beach

The Wine Cellar

The Beach Club

Jazz Band in the Lounge

Set up for a night wedding...no mine. :)

On Memorial Day Weekend we wanted to get away but didn't want to go far so we headed an hour or so South to Monarch Beach at the St. Regis.

It is a beautiful location and a nice way to relax and never leave the property.

Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach 2009

2009-04-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Most every year I come to the Long Beach Grand Prix. I am not a huge race fan but I love watching a bit of the race, walk around and look at all of the booths, watch a bit of the race, have some food and watch a bit of the race. This year it was 100 degrees...at the beach and they said 119 on the track. (notice Queen Mary and the dome where the Spruce Goose use to be in the background).

Dario Franchitti, Ashley Judds Husband, wins the race.

Danica Patrick comes in Fourth but IIRC she started in the 22 position which was very impressive.

I had to take the photos of the cars during the caution because when they are going full speed I couldn't get a picture. :)

The Expo

Now What Did I Do? :)

Beyond The South Bay In LA: The Los Angeles Arboretum

2009-04-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to check out this place since I first found out that the building they used in the TV show Fantasy Island was located at the Arboretum (It was a stupid show but I loved it when I was a kid).

The Official Arboretum Greeter

Welcome To Fantasy Island

One Night In Oceanside And The Drive Home...Don't Try This At Home.

2009-04-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Oceanside, CA

My friend invited me to come down and meet up with her in Oceanside which is just a couple hours from LA. I hate driving but I think she was tired of me and my excuses so I decided to get away for one night. It was a fun night out but the next day I had the dreaded drive home so I shot some photos while driving (is there a law against that?).

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

San Juan Capistrano

Of Course It Would Not Be So Cal Freeway Driving Without At Least One Accident

Good Year Blimp In Carson....Almost Home!

I hate driving!

Finding Tranquility In A World Of Chaos

2009-03-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Living in the South Bay in LA has many perks and the biggest plus we have is the beaches. Not only are they beautiful but if you take a walk along the Strand or sit on a bench on the pier there brings calmness. It is very therapeutic.

Babies and BBQ in KC

2009-02-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen my family in Missouri in a couple years and one of my cousins was having a baby shower and other cousins were coming from Texas and Boston so I decided to come and visit with everyone. Actually two cousins were pregnant. One with twins, all three babies were girls and all due on the same day. The shower was at the Webster House which is a beautiful old school house (see photo below).

Of course a must when in Kansas City is to have some BBQ...unfortunately I was only there for two nights so I didn't get to wander around too much...next time!

MCI (Kansas City International)

Webster House

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue Beef Sandwich

Sprint Center

Flying home in ugh...coach on Southwest but it is a non-stop

Redondo Beach 31st Annual Super Bowl Sunday 5K/10K

2009-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Every Superbowl Sunday Redondo Beach hosts a 5K/10K. Some of the runners take this race very seriously but for the rest of us find it just a way to have fun and get some exercise too. Good thing that there is some coastal fog this morning.

Some of the racers taking a "carb" replenishment break
After the run everyone meets up at the Seaside Lagoon for some free "carbs."

Another bright and sunny winter day in the South Bay in LA

Welcome 2009 I Have Been Waiting For You

2009-01-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

What's Next? [dog at Big Mike's in Hermosa Beach Jan 09]

Good Bye 2008

2008-12-31T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hermosa Beach December 2008

Earth Wind And Fire VIP Concert At Staples Center

2008-12-09T23:18:00.000-08:00

View From Lexus Club Balcony At Staples Center of LA LIVE Christmas Tree And The Gay Men's Chorus Of Los Angeles Performing

Earth, Wind And Fire

Every year there is a VIP concert at Staples Center for those that are Premier Seat Season Ticket Holders, Suite Owners, Lexus Club Members as well as some AEG staff. Last years concert was Rod Stewart and this year it was Earth, Wind and Fire.

Before the concert there is dinner for everyone in Staples Center. The Lexus Club members and their guest have a special dinner in the club that included complimentary wine, beer and cocktails as well as non-alcoholic beverages. There several tables with everything from beef, pasta, fish, cheeses, sushi and a dessert table too.

Before the concert I couldn't remember one song that Earth, Wind and Fire sung but as soon as the concert started it brought back many fond memories of my teen years.

Can't remember what songs they sang? Here is their top 10.

1. Got to Get You into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire, Lennon, John

2. Fantasy - Earth, Wind & Fire, DelBarrio, Eduardo

3. Can't Hide Love - Earth, Wind & Fire, Scarborough, Skip

4. Love Music - Earth, Wind & Fire, Scarborough, Skip

5. Getaway - Earth, Wind & Fire, Cor, Peter

6. That's the Way of the World - Earth, Wind & Fire, Stepney, Charles

7. September - Earth, Wind & Fire, McKay, Al

8. Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire, Bailey, Philip

9. Reasons - Earth, Wind & Fire, Bailey, Philip

10. Sing a Song - Earth, Wind & Fire, McKay, Al

Christmas In The South Bay In LA

2008-12-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

Kids with Santa On His Float That Goes Down Every Street Of Redondo Beach Over Several Weeks is Pulled By The Redondo Beach Fire Department And Escorted By The Redondo Beach Police Department.

Seaside Ice Rink In Redondo Beach Near The Harbor

Kids with Santa On His Sled On A Trailer Pulled Through The Streets Of Redondo Beach By The Redondo Beach Fire Department And Escorted By The Redondo Beach Police Department

Ice Rink In Redondo Beach Near The Harbor

My Flyertalk.com Friends At A Christmas Party in Manhattan Beach Many Are Locals But We Had Some From NY, DC, IN and France too.

Who says you can't have a "real" Christmas in Los Angeles? So we don't have snow or really a real winter and we wear shorts all year long but we still have plenty of ways to celebrate the winter season.

L.A. Kings set to skate at Seaside Ice in Redondo

From staff reports

Posted: 12/14/2008 12:11:03 AM PST

Ice skate with the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night at Seaside Ice in Redondo Beach.

Current and former members of the hockey team will take to the rink from 8 to 10 p.m. The team is providing snow for its inaugural "Snow Day in LA."

Tickets are $15 for admission and $20 including skate rental. Guests can take pictures with Santa Bailey and the Metal Ice Crew.

For more information or to order tickets, visit www.

lakings.com/snowday or call 310-535-4463.

Seaside Ice is at 200 Portofino Way. Parking is available at nearby Redondo Beach Marina.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_11227035

Jesus Is Magic: Sarah Silverman In LA

2008-11-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

He plays Sarah's neighbor on the show and was also the guy that security was giving a hard time to get in before the show. No respect...oh...wrong comedian.

We went to the new Club Nokia at LA Live in Downtown LA across from Staples Center to see Sarah Silverman and the cast from her show perform. If you don't know who Sarah is she is a comedian with a TV program and she is kind of raunchy and sounds a bit racists. She kind of like a young female version of George Carlin and you either love her or hate her...I love her.

The program started with several of her cast members performing stand up individually and followed by Sarah. The show was quite good and I highly recommend seeing her unless you are easily offended. I took pictures of her but for some reason they all turned out blank...hmmm. :)

LA Auto Show

2008-11-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Kiddy Go Cart

The LA Auto show is the first auto show of the year with many cars being displayed for the first time in the World so when I came here I was really excited about seeing some of the new designs especially the new hybrids but it was a bit disappointing unfortunately.

Yelping In Malibu

2008-11-17T23:53:00.000-08:00

I went to my Yelp Elite event at the Beachcomber in Malibu. Yelp is a online group that reviews businesses and when one makes sufficient contributions to yelp they make you an Elite member. As a reward they have Elite events that you are invited to that includes food and drinks and sometimes a few more perks.

So Cal Fires

2008-11-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

The skies are bright orange/red from the fires

Although there was a small fire nearby in Palos Verdes most of sky is filled with the ash and smoke from the valley (20+ miles NW) and from OC ( 30+ miles E) from the South Bay.

When we have these huge firestorms most of our fire departments from all around come together to help.

Pray for the firefighters!

The Great Southern California ShakeOut: THIS IS JUST A DRILL!

2008-11-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

At 10 a.m. on November 13, millions of people throughout Southern California participated in the ShakeOut Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history and there were more than 3 million people that participated in the state of California.

As a member of the Redondo Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member we had a drill at the South Bay Galleria that included CERT members from Manhattan Beach, Lomita, Torrance, El Segundo as well as our local fire department and ambulance services.

Pets and Critters In The South Bay

2008-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

Remy

My Cat Remy In The Beach Reporter

Our Neighbors

My cat Remy made the local paper so I thought I would just say a quick shout out to our pets and critters!

We love our pets in the South Bay and on any given day you can go to the dog park or walk along the Strand to see home much.

In the South Bay in LA there are dogs, cats, bird and horses as well as some local wild animals like squirrel, opossums, foxes and I have once been awoken to a raccoon stuck in a tree when the sprinklers turned on. In PV there have been sightings of some wild cats too.

Election Day In The South Bay In LA

2008-11-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Every year, no matter if it is only a small local election, I vote. I just don't vote by responding to phone calls or by party affiliation I vote by spending hours, usually days, reading up on the politicians and propositions. I read the rebuttals and find out who is supporting them and who is against them. Most of the time I can not find out enough info from the election info sent out so I have to go online and do my own research.

I won't go into who I voted for or what propositions I voted for or against because I try to keep this non-personal but all I will say is it is great people got out and voted this election and I hope that this enthusiasm continues for future elections. All I ask is to do your research before voting. Don't listen to ads on TV....matter of fact ignore them completely and really look what you are voting for or against.

[we will now tune to our regularly scheduled program]

Dodgers vs. Phillies Game 3

2008-10-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see the Dodgers play the Phillies in the new Baseline Box Seats.

Here is the scoop. The Dugout Club is better because of it's location from behind home plate and next to both the Dodger dugout and the visiting dugout but the new Baseline Box Seats are cooler because of the actual seating.

If you have ever been to the box seats at the Hollywood Bowl it is kind of like that. You have 4 people per box with a table in front and a shelf below that to put your things. The seats are actually located where the field use to be so you are really close to the baseline.

Just as the Dugout Club, it has complimentary food such as a tri-tip station, pasta station, salads, sundaes, lattes and of course Dodger Dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

Oh yeah...about the game...Dodger won!

Oktoberfest The Best In The West....Torrance, CA

2008-10-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Every year the South Bay In LA celebrates Oktoberfest at Alpine Village in Torrance, CA. Last year they tore down the old Oktoberfest area and built a new tent. Every year I come here with my SO and a good friend that is a Swiss German to enjoy the festivities very much like being in Munich.
Alpine Villages flies over bands from Munich for the celebration. In LA we have a large population of people from all over the world and Germans are just a few.

Over the years I have met many people here that are ex-pats from Germany as well as many Americans too.

If you come here you will see the young and old from many places across the globe to enjoy the yearly Oktoberfest celebration.

Down And Out In The OC:

2008-10-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

In my past life I worked at the Disneyland Resort for 17 years but I haven't been back since I quit in 2007 so when a friend called to invite me to brunch at Club 33 it was not hard to convince me to go.

Club 33 is a private club located inside the Disneyland park. I am fortunate enough to know several of their members so I have been going there for almost 15 years.

There has always been a wait list of several years to become a member but apparently someone posted their email online and they received more than 10,000 emails asking to become a member so the wait list is currently closed.

The brunch offers several items on their menu such as lamb, salmon, flat iron steak and pasta. There are also a couple buffet tables with salads, smoked salmon, lobster and crab claws, and a dessert table too [top photo] .

Club 33 members receive a card that allows them and their guest to enter both Disneyland and California Adventure. If you are invited and the member is not there you go to guest relations to pick up your admission ticket that also works at both parks. So after brunch we decided to hit a couple rides at Disneyland like the Haunted Mansion [see above photo].

Afterwards we headed to the California Adventure and rode California Screaming [below photo].

Wine Pairing And A Kings/Ducks Game

2008-09-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

We received an invite from the Lexus Club at Staples Center to come to a complimentary food and wine pairing as well as a pre-season LA Kings/Anaheim Ducks game.

At the Lexus Club there were several wine tables with their prospective wine reps pouring wines from BV Georges de Latour and Far Niente as well as other very nice wines. The wine seemed to never end but the first to go was definitely the BV. Along with the wine we numerous choices of food such as duck, lamb, beef, lobster risotto and various cheeses and desserts.

After the wine and food it was time to head out to our suite to watch the game. Kings lost.

Redondo Beach Lobster Festival

2008-09-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Every year for a weekend Redondo Beach has their Lobster Festival at the Seaside Lagoon just North of the pier. This year was a bit different than the past because there was a new group running the festival but most was the same.

There was entertainment by various bands, wakeboarders in the lagoon, food booths for those who prefer not to have lobster, wine and beer as well as booths selling various items.

You can purchase the tickets to get in and separate tickets for the lobster or you can purchase packages for $30 for admission, t-shirt and 1.25 lb lobster or $50 for a 2 lb lobster at www.lobsterfestival.com .

AVP Manhttan Beach Open 08

2008-09-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

AVP Manhattan Open Winners Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh

Twice a year the South Bay has the AVP in town. The first one is early in the summer in Hermosa Beach and the second one is the last AVP of the season and considered the Wimbledon of beach volleyball and is located in Manhattan Beach.

What is great is that many of the bleacher seats are free but with both the mens and womens Bejing Olympic Gold Winners participating this years AVP was going to be a full house so we opted to purchase tickets to be guaranteed a good seat.

This past few days was a beautiful sunny picture perfect weekend in Manhattan and to no surprise the winners of both the mens and womens was our Olympic Gold Winners.

Fiesta Hermosa 2008

2008-09-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Fiesta Hermosa is twice a year, once on Memorial Day weekend and once on Labor Day weekend. Fiesta Hermosa on Labor Day is a kind of a reminder that the summer is over. I love to come here to look at all of the booths of everything from windchimes to patio furniture as well as art from local artists.

There is a food court with many types of foods from BBQ, to Holy Guacamole and Corn on the Cob. There are two stages with live music. One near the pier and one in the beer and wine tent.

This year the mornings started off looking overcast and ugly but by noon the sun was bright and warm...actually quite hot. If you have never been before you should come by and check it out.

www.fiestahermosa.com

BTW...summer is never over in the South Bay in LA

The South Bay In LA Gets The Gold

2008-08-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Throughout the South Bay in LA you can see signs posted congratulating our local Olympic Gold winning Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. Actually, the South Bay has many Olympians past and present as well as many professional athletes.

CONGRATIONS Kerry and Misty!!!

Don't miss Misty May on Dancing With The Stars

A Taste Of LA Aboard The Margarita Train

2008-08-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ok...it is technically not a train but a London style double decker bus

Our driver explaining the rules of the bus....no standing but drinking is ok.

A friend of ours has a annual tradition of renting a bus and inviting his friend to do a margarita tasting throughout various Mexican restaurants within the Los Angeles area. Every year it is a different route and no one knows where they are going to be going.

We all meet up at the first location then head on the bus. On the bus is gallons of pre-made margaritas and huge amp speakers to enjoy the ride in the sun. It is a lot of fun but it is a good thing it is only once a year.

Some of our stops are below.

Beyond the South Bay in LA: Paris, France

2008-08-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

After a 2 hour trip on the Eurostar (train) from London and through the Chunnel (the tunnel under the English Channel) traveling up to 186 mph we arrived in Paris...the city of love.

This was my third time to Paris but my 17 year old son's first time so we visited as many local sites as possible. The weather was mostly nice to hot with a couple thunderstorms in between.

Besides the Eiffel Tour the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of Paris is the food. In London there is a pub on every corner and in Paris there is a cafe on every corner. My son soon became a huge fan of the croque monsieur which is a is a hot ham and cheese (typically gruyère) grilled sandwich and everything you eat in Paris tastes good.

We visited the Louvre, Versailles, the Avenue Des Champ Elysees as well as some side trips to the Latin and Greek quarters.

FYI give yourself a couple days to visit Versailles, the garden alone is about 250 acres.

Notre Dame

Jardin Des Tuileries

Arc De Triomphe

Grand Palais and the Seine river

Eiffel Tour (yes tour and not tower)

View from the Eiffel Tour of the Trocadero

Musee' Du Louvre

Versailles (it looks like it is a painting even in person)

Basin of Latona fountain at Versailles

The Rhone fountain by Jean-Baptiste Tuby at Versailles

The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles

We must have walked 5-10 miles a day as well as taking a few metro (subway) and taxi rides. At the end of our trip we were looking forward to the long flights home...so we could just sit, watch some movies and get some much needed rest.

Beyond the South Bay in LA: London, England

2008-08-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey

Holy cow did we get pounded in London...no...I didn't get pissed (British slang for drunk) but I got pounded as in £ ed. At 1 British pound = 1.8609 (closer to 2 to 1 with exchange fees) the U.S. dollar does not go a long way. Even if you eat a pubs and order fish and chips you will end up spending around $20 and that is just one medium sized piece of fish.

My son had his first international trip and we flew from LAX to LHR. I have been to London quite a few times so I have seen most everything so now I was able to show my son around like his own personal tour guide. He turned 17 in London.

We walked many miles every day and he quickly learned how to navigate the Underground/Tube (subway) which he was not so fond of...too many people I guess. He really loved London though...except for most of the food with exception of dim sum at Harrods.

On the right is the first and only beefeater/yeoman warder that is a woman. (You have to have 20 years of military service before you can become one.)

Big Ben and House of Parliament
(Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside of the tower)

View of Tower Bridge from the river Thames

London Eye (ferris wheel) and our boat arriving to take us to Greenwich

Queens Guard at Tower of London

Admiralty Arch

Other places we visited was Trafalgar Square, Leister Square, British Museum, National Gallery, Odeon theater (Dark Knight movie), Victoria Station

Greenwich
(look closely at the sky...see the plane? That was one of the planes above the stadium at the
Red Bull Air Race)

Prime Meridian Line in Greenwich

The trip is half over...now we are off to Paris via the Eurostar. See you in Paris!

SmackFest to ShakeFest In The South Bay In LA

2008-07-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry not my best photos

This weekend was the SmackFest in Hermosa Beach. It is a Pro-Am charity volleyball tournament, the Southern California Foundation for Children. It is a lot of fun to watch especially the teams that are in dressed themed costumes.

ShakeFest was on Tuesday at 11:42 am and was a non scheduled event. Actually it was originally thought to be a 5.8 earthquake that was downgraded to a 5.4.

In the South Bay we don't get too many earthquakes or at least ones that you are aware of. The actual epicenter was about 30 miles away in Chino Hills but it was felt all over Los Angeles and there are reports it was felt as far away as Vegas which is more than 200 miles from the epicenter.

It has been about 14 years since we have had a sizable earthquake which was the Northridge earthquake. But according to Cal Tech this was about 1% of the power of that one.

Are you prepared for the big one? You can download the Los Angeles Fire Department Emergency Preparedness Handbook here

More Chino Hills earthquake info received from USGS email

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

Region: GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIF.
Geographic coordinates: 33.959N, 117.752W
Magnitude: 5.6 Ml
Depth: 12 km
Universal Time (UTC): 29 Jul 2008 18:42:15
Time near the Epicenter: 29 Jul 2008 11:42:15
Local standard time in your area: 29 Jul 2008 10:42:15

Location with respect to nearby cities:
3 km (2 miles) SW (235 degrees) of Chino Hills, CA
8 km (5 miles) SE (127 degrees) of Diamond Bar, CA
9 km (5 miles) NNE (23 degrees) of Yorba Linda, CA
11 km (7 miles) S (178 degrees) of Pomona, CA
47 km (29 miles) ESE (103 degrees) of Los Angeles Civic Center, CA

ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
______________________________

__
event ID : CI 14383980

This is a computer-generated message and has not yet been reviewed by a
seismologist.
For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/ci14383980.php
or
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

CISN Southern California Management Center
Caltech Seismological Laboratory
U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond the South Bay In LA And Behind The Orange Curtain

2008-07-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Orange Curtain is a term we use meaning the border from Los Angeles County and Orange County. Many people might believe that all of So Cal is liberal but they would be wrong because OC is very conservative and I believe that the term orange curtain comes from this fact.

Apparently, the owners of the Angels didn't get the memo that OC is not LA....whatever.

I lived and/or worked in OC for almost 25 years but since I quit working for the Disneyland Resort I rarely come here. I miss my Mickey Mouse job but I certainly don't miss that 30 mile drive.

Yesterday we decided to go see the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" play the Red Sox. I am actually a Dodger fan first, Angels fan second and Red Sox fan third (go to Fenway once and you will become a fan too).

It was a picture perfect day. We had great seats right behind the Red Sox dugout. It was a sold out game and the stadium was about half Angel fans and half Red Sox fans. Several of the players came over to the fans and signed autographs before the game.

The Red Sox got in a couple runs and one of them being a home run and the Angels couldn't get any. It was looking grim for the Angels and after the sixth inning I couldn't take the heat any longer...literally...I thought I was going to have a heat stroke so we headed into the Diamond Club to watch from the shade. In the 7 inning, of course, the Angels made 4 runs and ended up winning the game Angels 4, Boston 2. Next time I need to bring a hat and find a seat in the shade.

I believe this is relief pitcher David Aardsma

A Revolution in Carson On The Fourth Of July 2008

2008-07-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

This Fourth of July was one of those, "what do you want to do holidays?"

There are many choices of ways to celebrate the Fourth Of July in the South Bay in LA.

First a yearly tradition in the morning is the Iron Man in Hermosa Beach. It is on July 4th in the morning. It starts off as a 1 mile run in the sand, followed by a 1 mile surfboard paddle then you must chug a six pack of beer without puking. Boy doesn't that sound like a blast? Well it's not for me but you would be amazed how many people show up and do it.

If that is not your thing there is theVILLAGE RUNNER 4TH OF JULY 5K RUN in Redondo Beach.

No matter where you go the beaches are packed.

There was also the USS Gary at the Port Of Los Angeles for the Navy Days LA 2008 offering free tours of the ship.

In the Beach Cities fireworks are not allowed and the police do come looking when they go off. So you have to head to either another surrounding city where fireworks are allowed like in Hawthorne or Lawndale or go to a firework show.

There seems to be firework shows everywhere. At El Segundo they have a yearly show, Redondo Beach has a show off of the pier and a party with bands and food at Seaside Lagoon which I did last year and it was a lot of fun.

Lawndale's High School, Wilson Park in Torrance and San Pedro all have great firework celebrations.

We decided (surprise, surprise) to head the the Home Depot Center in Carson. The LA Galaxy was playing the New England Revolution. It was a great game and Beckham's goal was a highlight in the evening but as I said in my title it was a Revolution and the Galaxy lost.

After the game we found seats on the patio at the American Express Club to watch the firework show. Actually, it was very impressive and this is coming from someone that worked at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim for 17 years and watched fireworks nightly in the summer.

After the firework show the players were milling about having a good time before heading home.

If you haven't been to the Home Depot Center yet you don't know what you are missing...check it out it is a lot of fun.

LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution

It Was A Sold Out Event!

My photos do not give the firework show justice.

Are You Ready For Some Futbol?

2008-06-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Who says LA doesns't like soccer aka futbol? This week was the Euro Soccer 2008 and I was able to catch some of the action.

Where do you go to watch the Euro 2008? Well this year most bars were offering it on their TV's but if you really want some fun go where the fans are mostly European.

During the Germany vs. Turkey semi finals game we headed to Alpine Village in Torrance. It is a small village consisting of German shops, restaurants and bars. I stayed for the first half then had to get back to work....good thing too because during most of the second half the World Feed was down and no one was watching the game except for the local feed in Switzerland was still up.

Turkey vs. German Semi Finals At Alpine Village Torrance upstairs in the pub.

Germany vs. Spain at the Underground Pub and Grill in Hermosa Beach

A great place to watch futbol is also at the Underground Pub and Grill in Hermosa Beach. There are a lot of Ex-Pats here and they are not all English. During the Spain vs. Germany finals it looked like half the crowd was for Spain and half was for Germany.

In case you did not hear...Spain won!

Beyond The South Bay In LA: Vegas Birthdays

2008-06-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

Jerry and Cheri, The June 9th Birthday Boy and Girl, At Moon At The Palms

View From Foundation Room At The Mandalay Bay

Cirque du Soleil - Mystere

I came to Vegas with my bf who was there for his annual sales meeting from June 8-12. He was going to be busy during the day with meetings and some of the nights so I hung out at the pool most of the day then met up with a Vegas local I know.

Sunday we met up with a couple of my www.flyertalk.com friends that happened to be in town and the Vegas local and went to see The Mentalist and out for a few drinks later.

Monday was my birthday but no one was around so I relaxed at the pool most of the day, had dinner at Merkato an really good but inexpensive Ethiopian restaurant then headed to see Cirque du Soleil Mystere at Treasure Island which is an incredible show. Afterwards, I headed to the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay to meet up with my bf and his co-workers.

Tuesday was another pool day, then I met up with my bf and tagged along to his corporate party at the Mandalay Bay Pool where there was a stage set up with Elvis Costello performing, food and drinks. There I found out that one of his colleagues that I have know for several years shared the same birthday....Gemini Twins. :) Later on a group of us headed to the Palms and went to the Playboy Club and the Moon bar where we had reserved tables and bottle service.

Wednesday more pool time alone. Then off with a friend to Lotus Of Siam, a small hidden authentic Thai restaurant knows as the best Thai in the USA. After a wonderful dinner we headed to Cirque du Soleil - KA at the MGM Grand. Another fantastic Cirque show...probably my favorite of the 3 I have seen. Later met up with my bf and his group at the Cathouse at the Luxor where we saw Carrot Top and Dog, The Bounty Hunter visiting at the table next to mine. A strange sight to see.

Thursday was the day to pack up and head on home.....still recovering.

The South Bay In LA Is Crazy About Beach Volleyball: AVP Hermosa Open

2008-06-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

When the AVP is in town everyone comes out to watch there favorite beach volleyball players. Many of the players actually live or trained in the South Bay so it is also nice for them to play at home. There are the main games in the large stadium area and several smaller qualifying courts too. There some good food stand and lots of companies giving out promotional items...oh yeah and the beach of course.

Lakers, Fiesta Hermosa and Friends

2008-05-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

In the last couple week I have had friends in town from KC and DC while it was Hot Hot Hot in LA. The beach was fantastic and visiting with friends is always a great time. [above photo of people waiting to get into the Poop Deck in Hermosa].

The Lakers playoffs has been a blast too. Above is a photo outside of Staples Center...Who would have thought that LA has mounted police...but we do.

Congrats Lakers for making it to the NBA Finals!!!
Fiesta Hermosa was this past weekend which is a lot of fun even though it was a chilly 75 degrees out.

Beckham In The South Bay In LA: Carson, CA

2008-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been coming to see the LA Galaxy since the Home Depot Center opened but last night was the first time I have been since Beckham has arrived. First thing I noticed....the stands are full. They had more than 27,000 in attendance. Second thing was the NY Red Bulls...that is the name of the team and guess who their sponsor is? Yep! Red Bull. I thought it was bad when sponsors named arenas but now they name the teams. Oh well it's kind of a cool name but I am happy the Galaxy is not the Herbalifes.

It was a very exciting game. It is always a good time and if you are star struck you can find celebs like Tom and Katie there too

I

Too bad we lost the game. Galaxy 1, Red Bulls 2

Endless Summer Classic Car Show: Hermosa Beach

2008-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was going to Hermosa for some lunch and I came across the car show...how can you miss it it was on Pier Plaza. There were a few cool cars but .....look for yourself.

WOW! Where did that come from? That was not part of the car show. Actually this was an accident near my home. Don't worry she is fine...well until she goes to court.

I yelp LA!

2008-04-27T12:33:00.001-07:00

www.Yelp.com is a online review site where everyday people write reviews and post them along with photos too. It can be quite addicting sometimes but the best part of yelp is the social aspect of it. Every month Yelp has a party for their Elite Yelpers.

This Saturday was an Elite Yelp party at the Second Story Restaurant in the Belamar Hotel in Manhattan Beach. They had hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and yelp sweatshirts all paid for by yelp. I have been Yelping for over a year and I have met some great people.
After our coctail party the yelpers all went to the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo (where the LA Kings practice) to watch roller derby. It was a lot of fun.

2008 NBA Playoff Fever In LA

2008-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Playoff fever has begun in LA with the first playoff game for the LA Lakers at Staples Center against the Denver Nuggets. As always the playoffs causes a frenzy in LA and everyone who is anyone comes along for the ride. As always the arena was star studded. Some familiar faces I noticed were Jack, Beckham, Maguire, as well as some former LA Lakers.

It was an exciting game with the Lakers being ahead most game then they were down but in the end Lakers won.

Game 1 at LAKERS
Sunday, April 20
Lakers 128
Nuggets 114
LAKERS GAMEDAY

James Worthy

After the game the crowd went crazy outside of Staples. This is only game one and it gave me a feeling of deja vu from when the Lakers won the NBA title in 2000.

Don't tell the Clippers I was here.

LA Clippers Road Trip #18: New Orleans, Houston: Monday, April 14 - Wednesday, April 16, 2008

2008-04-17T21:27:00.001-07:00

This was the last road trip and the last two games for the LA Clippers 2007-2008 season.

We were headed to New Orleans first to play the Hornets then off to Houston to play the Rockets. We boarded their chartered flight at LAX on Monday and were on our way.

We arrived in New Orleans that evening and my bf and I headed out for some good Cajun food...I love the food in NOLA. Afterwards, we headed to some of our regular haunts before heading back to our hotel for the night.

In the morning I woke up early and headed for a nice walk along the along the Riverwalk and headed to....guess.....Yep, Cafe Du Monde for some cafe au late and beignets.

Later we headed out for lunch for some Oyster Po'Boys and boiled crayfish did a little walking around and it was time to start getting ready to head to the New Orleans Arena to watch the game.

We met up with some local family members at the arena and watched the game.

Unfortunately, the Clippers lost but we had a great time.

LA Clippers	92
New Orleans	114

After the game we were whisked back on the bus and then headed to the airport for our flight to Houston.

We arrived in Houston sometime after midnight and headed to our hotel. The hotel we were staying at is connected to the Galleria mall and there is nothing else to do in that area so in the morning we headed into the mall for a bite to eat (there is no hotel restaurant either).

I hate malls so being stuck in a mall all day was torture for me. The mall is suppose to be the 4th largest in the USA but to me that makes it even worse. So we ended up hanging out at a couple sports bars in there and watched some sports until it was time to get ready to head to the Toyota Arena for the game.

This game we had kind of crappy seats. Not the level but because we were in 20 deep so getting up for any reason was a pain so we hung out at their club level which is higher but they have tall tables and chairs where you can watch the game. I met up with a local friend and had a nice visit and watched our last game. The Rockets won even without their star player Yao Ming.

Houston	105
LA Clippers	79

After the game we headed back to the airport for the flight back to LA.

NEXT YEAR CLIPS!!!!!

Life's A Beach Over Easter Weekend

2008-03-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

El Porto/North Manhattan Beach/NOMA

This weekend was probably the best Easter holiday weekend ever...at least the weather was. It was close to 90 degrees/32 Celsius all weekend long. I was in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Long Beach and it looked like a typical summer day.

Days like this reminds me of why I live in the South Bay in LA.

Everyone Is A Bit Irish Over The Weekend

2008-03-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

This year St. Patrick's Day fell on a Monday so when do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the South Bay? Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

In Hermosa there are several Irish bars such as Patrick Malloy's, Hennessey's and FFFF (Fat Face Fenner's Faloon) and many start celbrating St. Paddy's day as soon as they get off work on Friday.Saturday, March 15th was Hermosa's Annual St. Patrick's Day parade which is a hoot. It is more like a small town parade. Nothing fancy just the local schools, groups, politicians and one X-Mayor of Hermosa [see above photo] are part of the parade.

Sharkeez was not doing any celebrating this St. Paddy's but it suppose to be open in May 2008.

With a bit of luck of the Irish they just might get into one of the Irish Bars

Some people celebrate St. Patrick's Day in different ways...like dying their dogs hair green.

Tsunami in Redondo Beach

2008-02-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

I am a volunteer for the Redondo Beach Fire Department CERT and from time to time we have more training and occasionally we have drills. On Feb 20th, 08 we had a tsunami drill that included the RBFD, RBPD, CERT members, volunteer medical and Red Cross. It was a test to see how communication would work, setting up triage, and dealing with victims.

Check to see if your local FD has a CERT program...it may save a life.

New York in less than 48 hours to see the LA Clippers

2008-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

A friend calls me and asks me what am I doing for Superbowl. I tell her that I just planned to go to a neighbors and watch the game. She asks me if I would like to go to New York. She entered a contest online to see the Clippers play the Knicks in NYC. It included 2 rt tickets on Jet Blue from Long Beach to JFK, 2 nights hotel at Roger Smith Hotel (a very cute European type hotel) and tickets to the game at Madison Square Garden.

It was just a few days away so I took care of business and left the morning of Superbowl Sunday. We arrived at NY two hours just before kick off so we made our way to our hotel and walked to O'Neils pub to watch the game. The energy was amazing being in NY to watch the Giants play the Patriots and lets just say it got crazy when they won.

The only Patriots fans in O'Neils

On Monday we did a little sight seeing including mass at St. Patricks Cathedral (above).

I had not been to the WTC area (above) since I stayed at the Marriott Financial Center which is gone too. We met up with some of our Flyertalk.com people for Lunch and later cocktails before the NBA game.

Security is not like Staples Center...they actually let us go down to the floor to have a photo. The game was great (yeah I know Clippers and Knicks both stink) and the Clippers won. What was really cool was after the 2nd quarter the brought out several of the Giants players to the floor to congratulate them on their winning the Superbowl.

Then Tuesday we were back on the plane home. I really do love NY.

One Weekend In Frankfurt

2008-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Departed LAX on Friday returned on Monday
It is all about the miles!

Guggemusik in Mainz

Frankfurt police and his police dog at the demonstration

Poster in store window in Frankfurt showing young girl drinking Jagermeister?

Frankfurt

Most people that decide to go out of town for the weekend in LA go to places like Las Vegas, Palm Springs or Mammoth some of us like to take it up a notch and head to Europe for the weekend.

Long story but there was a airfare special for about $500 rt to Frankfurt so my bf, a friend and I took advantage of it and went.

After working all day on Friday we headed to LAX around 5pm and shortly headed on United's non-stop to Frankfurt. It's about a 10.5 hour flight there and about 12 back. We landed at FRA (Frankfurt Airport) around 2pm, took the S-Bahn to the city, check in our room at the Westin Frankfurt, showered and met up at the lobby with another friend that happened to be in town.

From there we took the S-Bahn to Mainz which is about a 45 minute ride and went to the Guggemusik. It is a yearly music festival in Mainz where musicians from throughout Europe dress up and perform as they march from bar to bar. It is quite a sight with bands dressed like native Americans, pirates, and clowns and after a couple hours we were tired so we headed back to our hotel.

After a early morning 5 mile walk. My bf and I headed to the part of Frankfurt where they make appelwoi (apple wine). It is kind of like apple cider but much much better we had some lunch and headed to the Altstadt.

Much to our surprise there were probably a thousand police in riot gear for Nazi demonstration. There were more people protesting the demonstration than actual demontrators and we were witnesses to some unruley demonstrator push by police and one of the dogs took him down.

Later we met up with ANOTHER person that happened to be in town and he told us that still another person was in town for work (yeah, I have a lot of crazy friends). We headed to the Marriott at midnight to watch the Patriots play the Chargers and surprisingly there were a lot of locals that love the NFL. We went back to the hotel to watch the end of the game. Boo Patriots won!

In the morning we took our time to pack up and head to the airport for our long flight home.

Real Estate In The South Bay In LA

2008-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yes there has been many changes in the real estate market but the South Bay is holding up pretty well. Below is an article from the Daily Breeze.

South Bay home prices up 14.3%

By Muhammed El-Hasan, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 01/13/2008 11:24:26 PM PST

As California and much of the nation see home prices drop, the South Bay Association of Realtors today will release local statistics that appear to buck that trend.

The South Bay's median price for a single-family home in December was $741,500, or 14.3 percent more than a year earlier, according to the group.

The statistics include new and resold homes. The median price represents the middle figure where half of all homes sold for more and half sold for less.

The median price increase came despite a 48percent annual drop in home sales in December. A drop in sales usually represents a softening of the market, where fewer people are buying homes.

Furthermore, the median listing price of a single-family home fell 6.9 percent in December compared with a year earlier.

The South Bay report also shows that the median price of condominiums and town houses sold in December was $510,000, down a mere 2.9 percent compared with a year earlier.

By contrast, the median price of homes sold statewide dropped for much of 2007, sometimes by double digits, according to statistics from the California Association of Realtors and market tracker DataQuick Information Systems. Statewide home prices for December will be released in two weeks.

"There are areas in the South Bay that aren't so strong where we're seeing definite price decreases. But overall for a geographic area, we're doing better than the rest of the state," said Carol

ON THE WEB

Read the report at www.sbaoronline.com.

muhammed.el-hasan@dailybreeze.com

Ha! Ha! Hermosa....

2008-01-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

Last night and tonight George Carlin is in town doing his non-PC shtick at the Magic and Comedy Club in Hermosa Beach. It is a great venue to see some of the top comedians and magicians in a small venue at a very inexpensive price.

If you want to sit near the stage just show up early.

(sorry no photos during the performance)

Seinfeld's Puffy Shirt On Display

Winter Holidays In The South Bay In LA

2008-01-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

Hermosa Beach New Years Day 2008
Hermosa Beach's Pier Plaza Christmas Eve 2007

Sledding South Bay Style in Hermosa Beach Christmas Eve 2007

Sand Sledding In Hermosa Beach Christmas Eve 2007

Wishing Everyone Health, Prosperity and Happiness For 2008

Holiday Boat Parade In Redondo Beach

2007-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

On Friday night we took my son to the Annual Redondo Beach holiday boat parade in Redondo Beach harbor. It was the first time I have been to it but I have been to the boat parades in Newport Beach and Huntington Harbor. The parade started at 5:30 and end around 7:00...but we did not stay the entire time.

We Love To Fly In The South Bay In LA

2007-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ok...maybe everyone in the South Bay doesn't love to fly...but I do. On December 14 we were invited to a United Airlines ribbon cutting ceremony at LAX to celebrate United's first non-stop flight from LAX to FRA [Frankfurt, Germany].

First we were invited to the United Airlines First Class International Lounge in the airport to have some German wines, cake and apple strudel then we went down to gate 76 where the flight was going to leave from and there there was 2 large cakes and cider for all of the passengers flying this first flight.

Much to our friend's surprise the airlines asked him to participate in cutting of the ribbon (he is a frequent flyer, Global Services, member on United and he is also Swiss German and flies to Frankfurt often.

Did I mention that we didn't have a ticket to fly but were allowed to come into the airport with a special pass?

Fun...ok...I am a dork.

2007-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Holiday Office Parties in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach

2007-12-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

I went to two office parties this week. One for my office at Beaches in Manhattan Beach and the other was...don't tell anyone...another brokers office party. A friend was invited to the OB party and asked if I wanted to tag along so I thought why not and apparently I was not the only one from my company that attended this party.

Both parties had lots of food and drinks and everyone had a great time!

There are photos but I am going to be nice and not post them. :)

Clippers Viewing Party in Hermosa Beach

2007-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

Several times a year the Clippers have a viewing party and invite their season ticket holders to come and enjoy some food, drink and they raffle off items with some of the Clipper Spirit and Clipper staff.

Last night they had it at the North End Bar in Grill in Hermosa Beach so we decided to stop by since it was close .

They had complimentary food, drink specials and prizes raffled.

Holiday Cheer in Manhattan Beach

2007-12-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

Oh the holidays....

Last night was the first of the holiday parties I will attend this year. My friend usually has her party the first Friday of December but there was a scheduling conflict so her party was the last day of November.

We had friends from all over the US here as well as one or two from abroad. There was a lot of eating and drinking which plays havoc on my diet...

Kiwi's and Aussies

2007-11-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Flyertalkers at Mudbrick Vineyards Restaurant On Wiaheke Island, New Zealand

Sydney, Australia

Auckland, New Zealand (I took this photo...really)

Left last Saturday for Auckland with some Flyertalk friends of ours from DC, Chicago and Kansas City. In New Zealand we did a lot of sightseeing including taking a day trip and tour to Waikeke Island. On the island we did a wine tasting tour including a special trip to Goldwater Estate Winery the first winery on Waikeke where we had a private tasting and met the owner Kim Goldwater.

After 3 short days we hopped on a plane to Sydney for 2 night. Many things were going on with a lot of publicity such as the finals of Australian Idol (the Australian version of American Idol) where they were setting up at the Opera House. The LA Galaxy was in town with Beckham and this was going to be the largest exhibition game in Australia's history. Also, the election of the Prime Minister was the day we left and from what I read this was a huge deal because the current PM had served several terms so the city was buzzing the entire time we were there. Met up with another Flyertalker friend and his girlfriend for dinner.

I think I walked about 7 miles a day in Auckland and Sydney both. I need to go back and actually spend some time there.

[note] Upon arrival we heard that the current PM lost the election.

STEPS TO THE SAND IN MANHATTAN BEACH

2007-11-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

209 38th Place Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Upstairs 2 Bd, 1 Bath, 940 sq. ft. $800,000

Down stairs 1 bd, 1 ba, 460 sq ft $600,000

Living in the South Bay is great but the cost can be a bit higher. These units are less than a block from the beach, restaurants, and shops and less than 5 miles from LAX. (not on MLS) www.SouthBayinLA.com
http://shorewood.com/ListingDetail.cfm?ID=116966
http://shorewood.com/ListingDetail.cfm?ID=116976

Ok....enough about real estate. I am headed to New Zealand tomorrow so I should have something interesting to blog about soon.

I LOVE LA

2007-11-14T16:23:00.001-08:00

Last night we went to a special invite only cocktail reception, dinner and Rod Stewart concert at Staples Center. We had two extra tickets so we brought a couple friends. The tickets were given to Staples Center suite holders, Grand Reserve Club Members and those with floor seats for the Clippers, Lakers and King's glass seat holders.

I don't care to go to too many concerts but Rod Stewart did a fantastic job. Right before the Hot Legs song Rod shared a photo of himself on the megascreen. He was dressed in a nurses dress with a biker hat and stilletos.

It was quite an evening.

Beyond The South Bay In LA: The Big Island of Hawaii's Fires

2007-11-02T15:53:00.001-07:00

When I left for Hawaii I was looking forward to being in the islands but I was mostly looking forward to being able to breathe again. In Los Angeles and throughout Southern California we have been having awful fires and the air had been still, hot and there was ash floating. I could no longer stand being outside and I kept all the doors and windows closed to keep out the bad air.

When we arrived in Hawaii the air was clean, clear and beautiful. I could breathe!!!!

Then the day after the wedding on Sunday October 28th, 2007 arsonist did what they do best and started several fires on the island.

We were having a nice champagne brunch with the wedding party when the alarms sounded off and we were asked by the hotel intercom to get our belongings and return to our cars and head South.

We continued to eat and the servers continued to work until the hotel called a mandatory evacuation.

We headed to a friends villa nearby but the smoke got so bad so we headed to Waimea for the day.

We ended up going to the Waipi'o Valley lookout which was beautiful and head back to Waimea for lunch by that time the fires near Mauna Lani were under control and people were allowed to return to the hotel

Beyond The South Bay In LA: The Big Island Of Hawaii

2007-11-02T15:44:00.001-07:00

If you have ever landed at KOA airport you will know that it is like landing on Mars. From the view from the plane [above] the ocean is blue and beautiful but when the plane lands all one can see for miles is black lava rock all around you.

We to the Mauna Lani Resort for a few days to come to a friends wedding at the hotel. It was a beautiful ceremony and every thing was just perfect including the reception at the Beach Club nearby.

Beyond The South Bay in LA: New Fontana Listing

2007-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

I will try not to bore you with my real estate work but this weekend I picked up 3 listings. Two are in Manhattan Beach (will blog soon) and one in Fontana.

My friend decided to sell her home and she gave me the listing but living in LA and not knowing the market in San Bernardino County I co-listed with a local agent. I wanted to give her the best service possible.

The home is well kept and we hope it sells soon.

8562 Mango Ave.
Fontana, CA 92335

2 bed
1 bath
896 sq. ft.
$320,000

Wanna buy a house?

More info click on link to the right of my blog for my website.

Californication

2007-10-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

While we were slumming it in the Grand Reserve Club at Staples Center before the preseason Clippers game across the street the GRAND OPENING of the new Nokia L.A. Live was beginning to get busy with the limo arrivals of those coming to see the Eagles and The Dixie Chicks

Private parties everywhere with the Hollywood stars.

Just another day in LA.

Flyertalkers in the South Bay in LA and Santa Monica

2007-10-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

I guess I first should tell you what www.Flyertalk.com is. Flyertalk is an online group of frequent flyers and I have been a member for about 9 years now. People usually join to find out how to get award seats on planes or exchange upgrades but they have forums for hotels, car rentals, cities and many more.

One forum is Community where travelers post when they are going to and people get together. We have what we call Flyertalk Do's where we all meet up in various cities. Over the years I have met hundreds of people from around the world in places like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Narita and Dusseldorf.

On Saturday there were several Flyertalkers in town. Most were taking advantage of a airline and/or hotel promotion to earn miles and points.

We met up with a few for lunch at In-N-Out near LAX for some hamburgers. 2 of them were from NYC, 2 were from St. Louis and one was from Chicago and the rest of us are locals.

Later that evening we met up with a Flyertalker that who was from Austria. He decided to have a get together in Los Angeles to celebrate his birthday. The couple from NYC were also here as well as people from Finland and Germany as well as others more locally.

We started off with some wine and cheese at the birthday boys hotel near LAX and moved on to dinner at Locanda Del Lago in Santa Monica.
[more photos here ]

Manhattan Beach's Mira Costa High School College Fair 2007

2007-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

The first guests arrive

Mira Costa High School ASB Student Volunteers

Last night was the College Fair hosted by Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. This event is for all Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach high school students. Every other year it is hosted by Redondo Union High School.

I volunteered as Dinner Coordinator for the event which ended up being a great success thanks to the local restaurants and parents that donated 100% of the food and drinks.

The dinner is for the 90+ college reps from across the nation just before the College Fair begins.

BTW I spoke to many of the college reps and they said they ALWAYS look forward to coming to Mira Costa High School because WE have the best dinners of ALL high schools across the nation...but of course. :)

Redondo Beach Safety Fair and Police Open House

2007-10-07T15:48:00.001-07:00

There is nothing like teaching safety to the good citizens of Redondo than doing some good ole shooting. There were SWAT demonstrations and a weapons training simulator as well as many booth such as the one I was volunteering. My booth was the Redondo Beach Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team and I have been a trained response team member for about 6 years. www.rbcertaa.org

Hometown Fair in Manhattan Beach, CA

2007-10-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hometown Fair in Manhattan Beach is a once a year event. All of the food booths are 100% ran by non-profits mostly fundraisers for Manhattan Beach schools such as Mira Costa High School's Football, Lacrosse, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Water Polo....

It is mostly a family event with games for kids and craft booths but the beer garden is the hot spot as seen above. Sorry...no children allowed.

Oktoberfest in the South Bay

2007-09-30T09:20:00.001-07:00

In Torrance, CA there is a place called Alpine Village with little shops selling many item made in Germany and they also have a restaurant there too. In the far end of the parking lot is a huge outdoor area with picnic tables where during September and October they have Oktoberfest celebrations every weekend.

The bands are flown in from Germany so the music is authentic. There are many young and old people that come here and many wear there traditional German clothes. Everyone sings and dances and of course drinks from their steins.

It was really busy last night and I have never seen so many people do the chicken dance.

Beyond The South Bay In LA: HALF MOON BAY, CA

2007-09-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my SO and I flew up to SFO to go to a wedding in Hillsborough. We decided to stay in Half Moon Bay because all of his friends moved out of the city and moved to HMB.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and ass you can see it is absolutely beautiful there.

Beyond The South Bay In LA: MALIBU, CA

2007-09-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

No Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana was not at our party but at the party next door

LG HOUSE Next Door

Elton Brand On CrutchesThe Courtyard Between The Main and Guest House

The Backyard Pool, Deck and Ocean

[left to right] Clippers Owner Donald Sterling, Coach Mike Dunleavy, Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor, and Executive Vice President Andy Roeser

Last week was the owner of the LA Clippers, Donald Sterling's, White Party at his summer home in Malibu. It was appreciation to some fans but mostly supporters of the Clippers including their major sponsors and KTLA.

Now if you are not a sports fan you can still appreciate the hoop-la (ha ha). First you came down the street and you see a line of 15 - 20 valets. I think the valets were working two parties, ours and some Hannah Montana party at the LG House next door.

Since it was a "White Party" everyone was required to where white but at the check in table they had white Clipper T's if someone forgot but from what I seen no one forgot.

This home has a guest home on the street side, a huge court yard twice as big as the guest and the main house, then the main house and a back yard with pool a with a deck separating the back yard from the sand.

They had several bars throughout all, food, dancing, band and an announcement about the upcoming season, introduction of the players there, the coach and vice president and the executive vice president of the Clippers.

The weather was beautiful and it was a great evening.

[more photos here http://southbayinla.shutterfly.com ]

Labor Day Weekend Fiesta Hermosa

2007-09-10T15:14:00.001-07:00

Twice a year we have a festival in Hermosa Beach called Fiesta Hermosa. It is on Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends. It has many vendors from food to jewelry and lets not forget the beer garden. It stays pretty much the same from year to year including the locations of each vendor but it is a lot of fun especially the people watching.

Manhattan Beach Tiki Party

2007-08-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

The South Bay loves to party and as the summer is coming to an end this past Saturday we attended cartoonist Keith Robinson's ( www.makingit.com ) yearly Tiki party in Manhattan Beach complete with bartender, caterer grilling food and karaoki.

Last years party was shut down by MBPD early because the neighbors were complaining about the noise but this year Keith (the host) made sure he had a permit so this would not happen again.

Can you say ALOHA?

I LOVE LA!!!

2007-08-15T19:02:00.001-07:00

After my company meeting one of our agents asked if we wanted to see her new listing in Los Angeles near Century City on the Avenue of the Stars. I didn't have any buyers looking for anything out there but sure why not check it out.

WOW! The place was amazing...valet, bellmen, concierge on the 20th floor.

What a view too!

BEYOND THE SOUTH BAY IN LA: LYTLE CREEK, CA

2007-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend I celebrated my son's birthday at a campground in the San Bernardino Mountains about 2 hours from Los Angeles. I am not a great camper but we had a cabin so it was not too bad.

On Sunday night there was a Meteor Shower predicted to have 60 meteors within an hour and we were not disappointed although we did not see most of them because of the trees blocking the view but it was the perfect place to star gaze.

Oh, did I mention that it was about 100 degrees up there?

Hungry for Hungarian

2007-08-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

Growing up I lived next door to a family that was Hungarian. They had 3 girls all about my age and we became good friends. Their mother would cook up some Hungarian food like stuffed cabbage with rice, haluska, and Hungarian goulash (pardon my spelling). I LOVED IT ALL! My friends (the daughters) hated all of it and could not understand when I asked if I could come over for dinner when they had their homemade meals.

Well it has been about 20 years since I have had Hungarian food until today when I went to the Hungarian Festival at Alpine Village in Torrance. It was slow when we went but it was from 11am -8pm (still currently going on as I type). We had the pork stew and the stuffed cabbage...sooo good. They also had Hungarian music, art and crafts where also there to be found.

When you can't afford Sandals come to Dandals!

2007-08-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

I met Laura when I worked for Disney. She started in 1989 and I started in 1990. She was my boss and basically I liked her but she was just an annoyance to me. Well she left and became a successful event planner and I went into real estate.

We are both Clippers fans and Laura and her husband Dan are both season ticket holders too. Last season Laura came up to me and asked if I worked for Disney....I did not recognize her at first and then I said LAURA? So long story short we have became friends.

Yesterday Laura and Dan had a party they called DANDALS like SANDALS resorts but Dan influenced. They bought some kiddy pools to inspire them to get a real pool next summer. We had lots of drinks, shrimp, chicken and beef kabobs, and a movie shown on a high wall next to garage. Oh...did I forget the 20 minute Powerpoint presentation? It was about the inspiration to start up Dandals and get a real pool. Totally funny but done very professionally.

A Yelping Good Time at Dockweiler Beach

2007-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we met up with some of my Yelp.com friends and headed to Dockweiler Beach...where is Dockweiler Beach you ask? We it is that beach you see during take offs at LAX. It is the only beach in LA that has fire pits, RV parking and if you use a red cup no one really asks questions (no alcohol is permitted on any beach).

It was an ok turn out considering it was impossible to find our camp because it was in the RV side and it took a whole lot of hiking to get there from the general parking lot especially with all the beach crap I brought (5 chairs, 2 umbrellas, ice chest, beach bag, 2 volleyballs, small tent).

We had a nice BBQ with hotdogs, sausage, and Korean BBQ.

When we left and headed back to our car in general parking...OMG that side looked like a 3rd world shanty town. THOUSANDS of people running around, loud music, fire pits blazing. It looked like there were several gang members or wanna be gang members there. Come on...BLING AT THE BEACH!!!!!! That is so lame!

PS I WOULD PUT A PHOTO BUT MY BLOG IS BEING AN AHOLE AND WON'T ALLOW ME! As soon as it decideds it will let me I will.

South Bay Greek Festival

2007-07-14T19:01:00.001-07:00

Most people hate LA that do not live here and I am really not sure why. They say we have no culture and it is true we don't have "a" culture we are many cultures. With having many cultures comes great ethnic food, a diverse population and festivals.

Today I went to the South Bay Greek Festival in Redondo Beach. It is a mix of homemade Greek food, wine, beer, art, music and dancing. It is a place where immigrants from Greece and those like me that enjoy many foods and cultures can come and celebrate some wonderful traditions.

SouthBayinLA Real Estate

2007-07-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

The South Bay In LA real estate is a bit different then most of the the nation including most of SoCal. We have some crazy fun brokers opens. Most SB Realtors have food to get us interested to coming to see their listed property but today we had a GREAT open in Redondo Beach. It had food, margaritas, blackjack, craps and Texas hold-em from the rooftop of one of the new townhomes that are priced at $1,169,000 and up.

Sometimes work is hard and sometimes it is a lot of fun.

12th Annual Japanese Summer Festival

2007-07-09T10:20:00.001-07:00

This weekend was pretty quiet. After the mid week 4th of July festivities I needed to do a little catch up with work. We did stop by the Japanese Summer Festival in Torrance at the Torrance Cultural Center on Sunday.

There was dancing and singing and many games to play such as booths with Wii and chances to win phones and ipods. There was many types of food there such as Udon, Okonomiyaki and fried squid.

4th of July in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach

2007-07-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

[above] Yelpers

Living in the South Bay in LA has many advantages.
We have great beaches, many choices for restaurants and bars and we live close to LAX for when we want to get out the South Bay and travel.

4th of July was just a typical holiday for me. My bf and I had lunch at Sangria in Hermosa Beach with a carafe of sangria. Met up with my Yelper friends [top photo] www.yelp.com and headed to the Lighthouse and had a cocktail or two.

Watched some margarita wrestling...what is margarita wrestling you ask? Well on the beach they put a kiddy pool fill it with something that resembles and smells like margarita mix and girls in their bathing suit wrestle....good fun.[middle photo]

Uhhh...it didn't take long before I had enough and headed down the strand to the Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach to have some beer and listen to some bands, watch a lazer light show and the fireworks off the pier.[bottom photo]